^^^ So even with a BD player connected to the bar and the player turned off, it still does it? I'm at a loss. Guess I'd go to the troubleshooting section of the manual and try resetting the bar. Then start over with Vieralink and see what happens.

Something's not right because neither should be greyed out. The only suggestion I have is to follow the steps in the manual for adding/changing Vieralink components. If that doesn't change anything, try testing with an optical cable (turn ARC off again on the soundbar). That would at least let you know if the soundbar is working okay.

Thanks. I got ARC and vieralink up and running once I switch to a high speed hdmi cable.

After reading through all the threads here I have a general idea of how to connect, but not having an ARC compatable TV makes it difficult. I want to maximize my sound through the sound bar with all the components.

If I were to do as follows
TV < -> Sound Bar : HDMI + optical cable
I have the one HDMI In port left on the sound bar with three components (Apple TV, Cable Box, Blu Ray) - if one connects to the soundbar and the other two to the TV, would I lose sound quality from the latter?

If I were to do as follows
TV < -> Sound Bar : HDMI + optical cable
I have the one HDMI In port left on the sound bar with three components (Apple TV, Cable Box, Blu Ray) - if one connects to the soundbar and the other two to the TV, would I lose sound quality from the latter?

Any thoughts?

Thanks for your help
M

Potentially yes. The TV will only output 2 ch. stereo on the optical from the components you connect to it. Since blu-rays have excellent audio, it's usually preferable to connect the player to the bar's HDMI input and your other components to the TV. You could look into getting an optical switch which would allow you to connect from the components to the switch and then switch to optical in on the soundbar.

Potentially yes. The TV will only output 2 ch. stereo on the optical from the components you connect to it. Since blu-rays have excellent audio, it's usually preferable to connect the player to the bar's HDMI input and your other components to the TV. You could look into getting an optical switch which would allow you to connect from the components to the switch and then switch to optical in on the soundbar.

Potentially yes. The TV will only output 2 ch. stereo on the optical from the components you connect to it. Since blu-rays have excellent audio, it's usually preferable to connect the player to the bar's HDMI input and your other components to the TV. You could look into getting an optical switch which would allow you to connect from the components to the switch and then switch to optical in on the soundbar.

If I had an ARC compatable TV, it would free up the optical cable.

How would my connections change?

Would I send the Rogers box to the soundbar via optical and the Blu Ray to the Soundbar via HDMI?
Keep Apple TV directly to the TV via HDMI?

Potentially yes. The TV will only output 2 ch. stereo on the optical from the components you connect to it. Since blu-rays have excellent audio, it's usually preferable to connect the player to the bar's HDMI input and your other components to the TV. You could look into getting an optical switch which would allow you to connect from the components to the switch and then switch to optical in on the soundbar.

Truthfully, I use my apple TV and Rogers HDTV more than my blu ray player

I dont really follow the optical splitter
-Would I want and HDMI splitter with three HDMI inputs (one from Cable Box, Blu Ray, and Apple TV) and one HDMI Output to the Soundbar?
-Or am I using optical cables for the 3 inputs and outputs with seperate HDMI cables for each component connecting to my TV?

The only reason to use an optical switch is if you want 5.1 audio sent to the soundbar rather than the 2.0 that the TV will send. If you use a switch, you would not connect optical from TV to soundbar. You would connect optical from each of the two devices connected to the TV to the switch, then connect switch to optical in on the soundbar.

I'd suggest first just seeing how the audio sounds to you. It may sound good enough that the extra connections aren't worth it. At least you know you have the option of a switch if you want to try it.

This thread looks like it's been deserted for some time, but I thought I might as well ask this.

Recently, as in for able a month and a half now, I've been having issues with my sound bar. It will turn on just fine, but as soon as my TV tries to send a signal to it, it just turns off. The sound from the tv itself will cut out for a second, like it's about to transition, but then the speakers will just shut off. Sometimes there's a light that rapidly alternates between red and green above the input selector for a few seconds before it turns off, sometimes the light turns red above the virtual surround for a few seconds before it turns off, and sometimes it just shuts offs with no warning. It seems top randomly alternate between these three whenever it gets the signal from the tv.

What I have been doing since it started is just hitting the power button again and again until eventually it doesn't cut out and the sound comes through the bar, which used to work after doing it for a few minutes....note it's to the point that I can do it for hours on end and I get the same three results before it shuts out again.

A new speaker system really isn't in my budget, so any help would be greatly appreciated!

If it helps, the tv that I have us the Panasonic Viera TC-P42G25 model.

And also, everything was writing perfectly up until that point a few months back. The only thing Thad I can think of that stands out around that time is that my friend was back in town for Thanksgiving and he stopped by to visit and let me try out his PlayStation 4, but all I did was move the HDMI cable from my PlayStation 3 to his PlayStation 4.

Vash - if you have already attempted these steps, please ignore as I don't have anything further to add.

1. Disconnect all cables from the inputs of the soundbar including the power cable.

2. Go drink a coke, glass of water, coffee, kiss you wife, etc. Enjoy about five to ten minutes of something other than the soundbar (which it does not sound as if you are enjoying at this moment anyway).

3. Return to the soundbar.

4. Connect one device only to the soundbar. Do not connect the power cord.

5. I would probably start with the TV and if possible connect via optical out from TV to soundbar avoiding ARC HDMI connections for the present.

6. Connect the power cord.

7. Power on the sound bar and set to the optical connection from the television.

8. Power on the TV.

9. Check the TV settings to insure that audio shows Home Theater (or something similar) and not Internal Speakers which should be OFF.

10. If you get sound, both TV and soundbar are functioning.

11. Now attach one component at a time to the various inputs to either soundbar or TV (no idea how yours was set up).

You may have a bad HDMI cable. You may have a bad HDMI input (soundbar) or output (PlayStation or other device). Any of the physical connections are subject to damage.

This is exactly the same problem I have. My sound bar has worked great for two years now out of no where the exact same problem has developed on mine. I recently did a software update on my panasonic tv so perhaps that has something to do with this new and irritating problem came from. I have disconnected all components as described by the panasonic manuals but nothing so far has worked.

Sorry to necro this thread yet again, but landed here looking for any insight into a problem with a Panasonic soundbar. Exact same symptoms as Vash and Smenard. Taking an increasing number of power cycles to get the soundbar to connect via the ARC channel in a setup that has worked great for 3-4 years. Panasonic plasma is receiving the ARC source. Soundbar works fine with optical input, but the whole reason I like this soundbar is the great integration with the TV with CEC and ARC over HDMI.

I disassembled the soundbar to see if there were any obvious popped capacitors. I cleaned up what looked like some flux off of one part of the first board you see when you take the back off, but that didn't change anything.

Quote:

Originally Posted by smenard415

Vash,

This is exactly the same problem I have. My sound bar has worked great for two years now out of no where the exact same problem has developed on mine. I recently did a software update on my panasonic tv so perhaps that has something to do with this new and irritating problem came from. I have disconnected all components as described by the panasonic manuals but nothing so far has worked.

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